One minute you’re laying in bed on what you thought was a warm spring night—the next you’re hearing rain pouring down, your awning whipping in the wind, or worse, a loud bang from a gust of wind that tore your awning off its track.
Photo: Terry Bone on Flickr
Most RVs come with an awning already attached. Some are automatic and even have weather sensors that retract on their own. But if you have a manual awning, you’ll want to pay extra attention to rolling it up in bad weather to avoid hundreds or even thousands in repair costs.
When extended, RV awnings can collect puddles and become heavy with rainwater. Take this horror story from Mr. D on iRV2 forums for example:
“We were in Fresno at a friend’s house in 2014, had the awning out and realized it was raining hard. The Dutch Star was so quiet that we couldn’t hear the rain. By the time I got out there it was too full of water to lift, just then the main roller broke in half. The arms scratched the motorhome sidewall. Cut the awning off and left the broken/bent pieces there. Cost was over $4,000 for a new awning and paint repair.”
If it’s just drizzling, have a corner of your awning sloped so that rainwater can run off the side. After it’s rained (or if it was just humid out), make sure your awning’s completely dried before rolling it in. Stowing it away while it’s still damp can allow mold and mildew to grow and ruin the fabric.
Make sure your awning is stable on breezy days. Photo by dezolen, iRV2.com
Wind can be just as destructive to your awning. Gusts can happen when you least expect, like at night or when you’re away. You wouldn’t want to come back after a long day out to find the fabric of your awning was torn off its mounting track.
Strong winds can also cause the fabric to whip or billow up. Over time, constant flapping can tear the bead that fastens the fabric to the rail of your RV. Once this bead comes loose, you’ll need to replace the entire awning.
If you have a manual awning you can use de-flapper clamps to minimize the noisy whipping and prevent your fabric from tearing off. They aren’t meant for high winds, but on breezy days they’ll give your awning a bit more stability.
A stabilizer kit can also be very handy on windy days. These kits come with spiral stakes and pull tension straps so you can anchor your awning to the ground.
Awning repair tape is additionally very useful to have on hand in case your fabric gets a small tear. It can also be used on boat sails, tents, and pop-up campers.
Taking good care of your awning can save you a lot of money in repair costs. Depending on your coverage, many insurance companies will not pay for damaged RV awnings because they’re considered an accessory.
For peace of mind, always make sure your awning is securely locked during transit (use extra bungee cords if needed) and rolled up when the weather gets bad, at night, or when you’re away.
See also: Can High Winds Flip RVs Parked In A Campground?
And don’t hang those stupid lights all around your awning which may annoy your neighbors!
The guy next to you paid the same amount you did to park and enjoy it his way. If he likes lights and you don’t you can ….
A. go turn your coach around so you cant see the lights, or
B. go get darker shades, or
C. go tell the guy that his lights bother you and you are more important than he,
D. go crying to the manager (with a bloody nose) because he didn’t like your mustache, or
E. go Pay more to get a parking spot that doesn’t allow lights,Or
F. go ————-
So many solutions!
You sound like a person we would be unfortunate to be camping next to. A Joe six pack rude jerk.
Agree wholeheartedly!!
What about barking effing dogs and loud music? Awing lights? Really? You didn’t say it bothered you, does it?
I dont mind the lights or the music as long as its off at 11 PM but the barking dogs? no thanks
( I prefer cats )
Maybe if your point was conveyed in a much more polite and respectful manor and not interjecting your opinion as the most important, you wouldn’t get such backlash Glen. Kinda like some people prefer to light up and decorate their site, I would encourage folks to be mindful of their neighbor so it doesn’t create a negative impact on their camping.
Agree 100%. So trashy.
Love the chili lights!
Hey Glen, maybay be Stupid to you, but I enjoy my lites…Furthermore I have them on a timer. Cheers
Capt Ricky if you like the lites fire them up and enjoy them ! Please turn them out when you go in your rv for those that don’t care for them. Thankyou Stan
Hey Glen, you really sound like a real party pooper. Let hope we don’t meet.
All campers have their likes and dislikes. Young people with children Will have different needs and preferences than older folks. Ideally we will all recognize our differences as legitimate and be considerate of each other. Lights, noise, animals, walking through other peoples campsites, smoke from campfires, smoke from cigarettes, drunkenness and rowdy behavior can detract from the experience of others. Consideration of others is the key but is not always the rule.
Very well stated. Thank you!
Hey guys. Let me know where you camp. No, not to avoid you, but to avoid these campgrounds that are built like a parking lot. They build their sites way to close.
Awning lights bother you?
meh… I rather complain about smokers and pet owners when I camp. 😉
I’m with ya on those points… I wish people with pets would consider those of us that are pet free and want to be!!! If I want a pet licking me, nudging my crotch, crapping near my rig, or barking on and off all day and night… “I’LL” decide which one I want near me. MANY TIMES I think…. that’s it… I’m getting a d*** big tarantula or croci-agator and see if you like MY pet playing with you!!!
So, if you have a pet…. remember to keep it to yourself, UNLESS someone makes it a point of conversation and asks about it.
Smokers don’t bother me, but my wife hates second hand smoke…. grrrrrr.
I put off purchasing this particular set of lights because they were so bright. Then I found an inline dimmer. Works great!
I liked your comment about stabilizer kits to secure your awnings on windy and rainy days. There is a newer and better approach to protecting your awnings on these days – awning protection/stabilizing poles. Stabilizer kits mainly protect awnings from upward movement, but protection/stabilizing poles protect them from both upward and downward movement. I have used these poles for several years and find that no wind in Ohio has caused me to roll up the awning while I have been camping. One of my camper friends brags that she put her awning up in the spring and never took it down until the end of the camping season. These poles can be purchased on e-bay and Craig’s list. If someone has more questions, I would be happy to hear from you by using my e-mail address; rmoser@ysu.edu.
I just bought the RV, but I have a retractable awning above the deck on my townhome. I run it out and set the poles vertically, and have had little problem and zero damage. I’ve been Sent camping with 10×20 tarps on poles, and as long as you are smart and careful, you’ll be fine. Retract when I’m doubt, secure otherwise.
And I like the lites and music and even campfire smoke!
Life is too short to be an ass, unless that’s what you’re meant to be.
Thanks for the great advise about securing the awning.
As for my neighbors lights, I just close the curtains. Some people are afraid of what lurks in the darkness; thieves and vandals hate lights.
Thanks
all you complainers are exactly why we boondock!
Hmmm, don’t roll up when wet? Sorry = mine gets wet during a rain storm when it is all rolled up and tucked in. Might be better to say – open up on first sunny day to dry out an awning.
I love the different types of lights! I have kids and small dogs it helps me feel a little safer. It’s like Christmas! Now the yappy dogs I do agree or big ass mean looking barking dogs chained on a weak chain and the owners are not there.
In fact over time awnings will spend for themselves.
Wow, I really like the photo of the RV with the purple-ish awning that extends even farther and has straps holding it out. My uncle is thinking of buying a trailer and loves the idea of sitting out in a lawn chair, in the middle of nowhere, under a nice awning, sipping lemonade. I will have to tell him about your rain hazard advice though in case he decides to buy one.
Greta,
I was glad to see that you are thinking about the family. I am sure that your uncle appreciates your thoughts. There is a great way to provide your uncle with the protected awning he wants. What he needs are awning protection poles. These poles attach to a camper power awning and prevent wind and rain damage. The advantages of these poles are as follows:
They protect their awnings from wind and rain damage.
They fit Dometic, A&E, and Carefree power awning systems.
Properly installed, they apply no pressure nor tension to the camper wall.
Models are available that extend from 5 ft to 11 ft.
They allow the awning to be tilted if desired.
They require no tie down straps.
We have recently added a new type of pole to your inventory. They attach to the older camper manual awning and can be either attached to the ground, for those who pull their campers to campgrounds, or to wood decks, if the camper is permanently parked. They have all the advantages as listed above.
Call me to discuss your particular needs. If the phone line is busy or no one answers, leave a message and we we return your call.
Russ Moser
330-360-2779.
Interesting how fast this thread went negative.
Staying on subject, I’m just curious if there is a rule of thumb on wind mph for retracting the awning?